Facultative catadromy in American eels: Testing the conditional strategy hypothesis
Resource
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 344, 219-229
Journal
Marine Ecology Progress Series
Journal Volume
344
Pages
219-229
Date Issued
2007
Author(s)
Thibault, Isabel
Dodson, Julian J.
Caron, François
Tzeng, Wann-Nian
Iizuka, Yoshiyuki
Abstract
MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 344:219-229 (2007) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps06944 Facultative catadromy in American eels: testing the conditional strategy hypothesis Isabel Thibault1,*, Julian J. Dodson1, François Caron2, Wann-Nian Tzeng3, Yoshiyuki Iizuka4, Jen-Chieh Shiao5 1Département de Biologie, Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1K 7P4, Canada 2Ministère des Ressources Naturelles et de la Faune, 3950 Boulevard Harvey, Jonquière, Québec G7X 8L6, Canada 3Institute of Fisheries Science, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 106, ROC 4Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, PO Box 1-55, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan 115, ROC 5Institute of Oceanography, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 106, ROC *Email: isabel.thibault.2@ulaval.ca ABSTRACT: Analyses of otolith strontium:calcium (Sr:Ca) ratios in 162 American eels Anguilla rostrata of the St. Jean River watershed in eastern Canada demonstrated the co-existence of 6 migratory patterns, including freshwater and brackish water residence, and the predominance of an amphidromous migratory behavior. We tested the hypothesis that the choice of a particular life-history tactic may be controlled by a conditional strategy with status-dependent selection. This prediction was not supported because migratory patterns did not vary as a function of individual size, age and/or sex of eels prior to migration. However, we demonstrated that the utilisation of the estuarine brackish environment, more productive than the freshwater river and lake, resulted in a higher growth rate. Freshwater yellow eels, the typical catadromous tactic, were rare and experienced lower growth rates. Moreover, we suggest that freshwater overwintering periods are not recorded in otoliths owing to the cold winter climate that occurs at northern latitudes. Thus, Sr:Ca ratio patterns that show brackish residence may in some cases hide a seasonal migration between fresh and brackish habitats. KEY WORDS: Anguilla rostrata · Otolith microchemistry · Migratory patterns · Amphidromy · Catadromy · Conditional strategy · Growth · Biological characteristics Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Thibault I, Dodson JJ, Caron F, Tzeng W, Iizuka Y, Shiao J (2007) Facultative catadromy in American eels: testing the conditional strategy hypothesis. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 344:219-229. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps06944 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 344. Online publication date: August 23, 2007 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2007 Inter-Research.
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